Adventures in Sanskrit

I am not of the opinion that every teacher must use the Sanskrit names of poses. However, I do think a basic familiarity with the language is important. Cultural appropriation and decolonization are big buzzwords these days.  Learning more about where yoga came from is a way for practitioners to honor its culture.  Awareness of Sanskrit pronunciation and spelling will better enable teachers and students to engage in meaningful dialogue, both with texts such as the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali, and also with practitioners from India.

Any advice for new teachers/yogis who are intimidated by Sanskrit?
Bring your beginner’s mind! Learning any language is a little bit awkward, but a willingness to try despite that awkwardness will go a long way. Making unfamiliar sounds is challenging at first, but eventually with practice the sounds of Sanskrit will feel normal. Remember how foreign yoga felt the first few times you tried, but eventually the poses feel like home.

What are you hoping people leave with after taking this workshop?I want people to leave feeling more comfortable using Sanskrit terms.  The main focus will be on pronunciation of transliterated Sanskrit, with emphasis on words and phrases common in the yoga studio.

And just for fun: What is your favorite Sanskrit word or phrase?
Sukham bandhāt pramucyate -Bhagavad Gītā verse 5.3

“Sweetly from bondage one is liberated”.